


Heartbeat Skips

by MoominQuartz (IceCreAMS)



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Anxiety, Drabble, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Jam Bud Week 2020, Post-Steven Universe Future, Steven Universe Future
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:21:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23887354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceCreAMS/pseuds/MoominQuartz
Summary: Connie visits Steven at that bed and breakfast, like they promised.Written for the April/May Jamweek, Day 1: Bed / Breakfast.
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe
Comments: 12
Kudos: 49





	Heartbeat Skips

Steven woke to the blaring of his cell phone. He groaned and rolled over in the unfamiliar bed, reaching out to silence it — until, a beat after he’d done it, he realized that wasn’t his alarm. That was a ringtone — and not just _any_ ringtone.

He shot up in bed, blinking sleep out of his eyes. The sun was streaming in through the blinds, and he hadn’t slept through sunrise in a _long_ time. 

He snatched up his phone again, quickly redialing. It didn’t get through the first ring. _“Hey, Steven. Everything okay?”_ Connie was worried, all right. Man, he couldn’t believe the first thing he did was _worry her._

“Uh, yeah. Everything’s fine. I just slept in.” He rubbed his eyes, biting back a yawn. “Are you here?”

_“Yep, just pulled up. You haven’t breakfasted yet then, I assume?”_

“Nope. Not without you. I promised.”

She giggled and his heart skipped a beat. _“Okay. I’ll see you in a bit.”_

“Okay. Love you.”

_“I love you too.”_

She hung up, and he sighed. He took one last moment to enjoy the warm feeling of being smothered in a comforter that still smelled like laundry, before he pushed himself out of bed.

* * *

_“Oh,_ my word.” Connie’s voice was pure, unfiltered joy as she savored her bite of pancake, smothered in powdered sugar and a light syrup. “Let’s live here.”

Steven laughed. His heart skipped a beat.

 _Calm down._ He forced himself to take a bite of his vegetarian biscuits & gravy to avoid having to respond. _Calm down. She doesn’t mean it._

Or maybe she did. Maybe one day, she would. But either way, she didn’t mean it _now._ They weren’t going to start talking about this now.

“You know…” Connie tilted her head as she watched him. “It’s been a long time since you’ve slept in this late. It was nearly nine when I called you.”

“Yeah.” He shrugged. “It’s… kind of nice.” It was nice to not be beholden to a set schedule. Even if there was a part of him kicking himself for not waking up earlier so he could shower before Connie got there. Or so he could do _anything_ before Connie got there.

“I feel bad for waking you.”

“Oh, no, don’t feel bad.” He cleared his throat. “If I’m waking up to you, it’s not so awful.”

Her cheeks darkened in the way he _adored._ She giggled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear in the way she always did when she was flustered. “Wow. Laying it on thick, Universe.”

“N-no, I’m not just saying that!” 

“Oh!” A voice cut through their conversation and their gazes were brought over to see an older woman, with graying hair and crow’s feet. “Is this the girl, Steven?”

Connie glanced at him and he felt his blush spread like wildfire, crawling down his neck. “U-uh, yeah.” He cleared his throat and turned to Connie. “Connie, this is the owner, Mrs. Adams. Mrs. Adams, this is Connie. My girlfriend.”

It still felt so _good_ to say it.

“Connie! It’s a pleasure to finally meet you!”

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Connie said, confusion evident in her voice and she was going to ask and _oh,_ he was already embarrassed. “Steven’s only been here the one night, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.” Mrs. Adams clasped her hands together. “But oh, he’s been so lovesick for you, girl. Can hardly get him to talk about anything else, even the _weather.”_

“ _Ma’am,”_ Steven whined through clenched teeth.

Mrs. Adams laughed and laughed. “Oh, goodness, the redness in those cheeks! Keep this one, young lady. Will you be staying the night?” 

“Um, yes. Sorry, I haven’t checked in—”

“Oh, goodness.” The woman waved her hand with a good-hearted laugh. “Nonsense. You can stay in his room. I’ll set up the pullout couch, though I’m sure you won’t need it.”

 _“Mrs. Adams,”_ Steven whispered in growing horror.

She ignored him. It was Connie who smiled and said with a chilling smile that was all teeth: “I’m going to need a separate room, Mrs. Adams. Thank you.”

And then she turned from Mrs. Adams and picked up her fork again, and Steven felt a shiver go down his spine. The older woman left with a confounded expression on her face, and Steven’s heart skipped a beat for an entirely different reason. Connie’s anger was an ice-cold fire, and though he knew she would never direct it at him, he felt supreme sympathy for any on the receiving end. “Uh. Sorry about that.”

“It’s like she doesn’t even want my money.” Connie sighed, then looked at him. “That was just… uncomfortable. I wish people would mind their own business. We’re not even eighteen yet.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. This wasn’t your fault.”

Steven thought maybe it was, because she wouldn’t even be here if he hadn’t asked her to meet him at this bed and breakfast, and bit his tongue.

“Though I’m flattered you’d talk about me _that much_ in only _one night.”_

She smiled as she said it and Steven felt his anxiety unravel. Connie was the incarnation of a healing balm; if he had healing tears, she had a healing smile and a rejuvenating laugh. “Well, yeah.” He chuckled. “I can’t help if I’m bursting at the seams with how much I love you.”

“Aw.” She giggled. “You dork. Okay, let me try a bite.” As she reached over with her syrup-sticky fork, he reached over with his gravy-ridden fork to steal a bite off her plate, and she squealed. “Ah, Steven! You got gravy on my pancake!”

“Them’s the breaks,” he replied with a throaty laugh.

“Okay, so.” She wiped her mouth with her napkin. “What’s the plan for today? You’re gonna show me that hiking trail, right? Is that up first?”

He could _feel_ the stars in his eyes. Before he could nod along and before he could correct her, what came out first was: “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

His heart skipped a beat as she took his hand across the table, and the Universe was all right.

**Author's Note:**

> Is this rough? Yes. Because I had a small crisis when I realized it was Jamweek and had to scramble to post something. Whoops! Hope you guys like it anyway!


End file.
